


Chasing after a punchline

by hazk



Series: chase [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Missing Scene, Role Reversal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-10 11:14:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10436424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazk/pseuds/hazk
Summary: Victor Nikiforov is an idiot - a fact well known and cherished by his mother, yet ignored by the world.--Missing scene from the main story.





	

"Victor… I have always found his antics to be adorable", the said man's mother replied to one of Yuuri's careful questions during their first meeting. "Somewhat problematic when his public image first began to grow, yes of course - he was, _and is_ , so young _-_ but he is my child and there are some quirks I'd be sad to see him outgrow!"

Victor's mother laughed then, patting Yuuri's shoulder in a gesture he found almost conspiratorial due to the smooth, whispered words that followed as she leaned closer to his side. "Still, some aspects of it all can also seem just a little too much at times. You'll see."

Yuuri laughed with her, a little uncertain how he should feel about the Meeting the Parent -vibe he had been left to face on his own. Sure, they had arrived to Russia a few days earlier specifically so that Victor could introduce his new, mysterious coach to his mother…

But.

There was more to the serious, almost skeptical, way she looked at Yuuri, a look so many others had already shared from Hasetsu to Beijing and now all the way to Russia. Yuuri felt like he should address the issue he knew to be there, but he also wondered if he should wait just a little longer before bringing it up. In the very least, it was probably for the best to figure out what needed to be said before he got started.

"Ah, there he is!" Victor's mother exclaimed, leaning back against the cushions as Victor entered the living room with two mugs balanced on a tray. "You should have let me, you two are my guests after all!"

"No, this time it's all on me", Victor laughed, something barely contained in his gaze as he looked at Yuuri, giving them the mugs before turning around to go get the snacks. "You just talk!"

Yuuri felt betrayed with Victor leaving him to deal on his own, but soon understood why.

 

* * *

 

Their brief first meeting was cheerful yet somewhat carefully calculated.

Yuuri learned more about Victor's father then, paying his respects by the photo built almost like a shrine for the man's memory. He also got to see Victor's old room, the space not touched by time after he had moved out a few years back.

And, most notably, Yuuri wasn't stupid enough to not realise Victor's mother to seem the most honest whenever her son was not in the same room with them. She even went out of her way to guide Victor to run mindless errands that she had let slip by while he had been gone, taking the chance to have Yuuri's attention all for herself.

"I'm happy for him, please don't get me wrong… He can be impulsive, yes, but… Going to Japan, to meet you, seems to have been good for him."

"It was that to me as well. Is good, I mean", Yuuri replied clumsily as she nodded along, thoughtfully sipping at her coffee as she listened to him speak. "And I… This wasn't an easy decision for me, to take this responsibility, and all I can promise you is that I will do my best. Victor's adamant that it will work out", he finished with a small chuckle, unsure how to let her know just how he felt.

"He made the right call."

But her words lacked any doubt, now, and Yuuri couldn't help but to frown before he asked what she meant.

"He asked me if he should go, the idiot", she chuckled, fondly shaking her head. "It was obvious to me, from the moment he walked in here on that day that he was willing to catch the next flight over if that's what it took to hear you answer his questions. My permission was irrelevant."

Yuuri flushed, coughing a little as he had also tasted the bitterness of his drink. Victor had apparently made the coffee strong, but his mother seemed to be either used to it or the one to have taught him how to make it like that from the start.

"Did, uh… Did you tell him to go?"

"Who knows", she replied with a shrug, smiling brightly at Yuuri. "He didn't say he was leaving, not until he was already on the airport a few weeks later. But I suppose the talk we had gave him what he was after, and the fact remains that I am happy - for the both of you. It's good to see you back in action, and it's also clear to me that you're doing better now than you did before."

"O-oh, is it?" Yuuri asked, embarrassed yet curious to hear what she meant by that. He had been careful to hide just how his entire skating career, and especially the end of it, had truly made him feel.

"Yes", was her simple reply, smiling at him still and not elaborating further. It left Yuuri with no choice but to accept the answer, returning the smile as he did.

After all, it's not like she was wrong.

  

* * *

 

"Tomorrow: short program!" Victor cheered as he swung the bathroom door open and threw himself on Yuuri's bed, the older automatic to make way to not get included in the tangle of limbs. "I'll show them!"

"You'll show them what exactly?" Yuuri asked as he settled back against the wall and continued to scroll through his phone. Phichit seemed nervous in his updates, looking forward to the results from the Cup to solve his own faith in the Grand Prix circuit.

"Your love for the ice!" Victor exclaimed, unfazed and turning to lay on his back. He had a happy grin on his face as he gazed at Yuuri. "My love for the ice! My new life and my _oh-so-bright_ future!"

"Russia will certainly appreciate the enthusiasm", Yuuri chuckled nervously. "It'll be… interesting."

"You're worried?"

"Not about you - I know you'll be as amazing as ever", Yuuri said with a smile, Victor returning the gesture with a shred of rarely shown shyness apparent on his face. "It's just… I know the interviews will be hell for me. We're in Russia, _in your home country_ , and I still haven't done a good job at explaining my role in any of this… The reporters here, I know they'll be more keen to drag it out of me."

They had been determined to build honesty in their relationship, following the last of their rules to avoid overwhelming either of them. Yuuri knew he had to stay as much in control of his anxiety as he could, and they were still learning how to best help each other with their individual worries. It was too late to back out now:

It was time to ensure everyone would take both of their dreams seriously, despite their ages.

"Right", Victor said and let out a happy huff. "I'll do _so well_ tomorrow that at least they won't be able to criticise your coaching!"

"Ah, I really don't want to add to your burdens", Yuuri replied with a smile, the jokes reflecting just how comfortable he was becoming with what they shared together. "You don't need to get to the first place simply for my sake!"

"But I'd do anything for you." Victor rolled on to his side next, glancing up at Yuuri with a playful glint in his eyes. "And it would never be a burden!"

"Then you must do well, just don't do it for the reporters… Win, all for me", Yuuri stated, lowering his phone to look at Victor with steady eyes, making Victor stall.

And that's when Yuuri knew exactly what Victor's mother had meant, the sudden surge of energy once again a little too much to handle.

Even to their surroundings.

"Shit!" Yuuri reached forward and tried to catch a hold of Victor's arms, but Victor had already stumbled and fallen backwards off the bed in his hurry to be face-to-face with Yuuri for their more serious conversation.

Victor crumbled to the floor, his eyes wide and his head just barely missing the corner of the nightstand as he fell. His landing was far less graceful than what you'd like to see both on and off the ice.

Yuuri jumped to the edge of the bed, looking down to the floor. His mind reeled on if he should panic and hurry to check on the other, but Victor made the choice for him by remaining still only for mere seconds before scrambling to straighten himself and sit up on the carpet between their beds.

A brief silence followed the loud crash of his body having hit the floor, Victor catching his breath and Yuuri's face twisting in an attempt to contain his laughter. Victor stared up at him with eyes wide with both horror and embarrassment.

"Y-you okay?" Yuuri managed to get out, still playing out the worry for the skater who was supposed to be under his care and forcing himself to not react to the hilarious, flabbergasted look on Victor's face. 

Victor swallowed slowly, nodding and opening his mouth to say something - what exactly remained unheard as Yuuri lost his calm and broke into a loud laugh, barely able to keep himself from also falling off the edge of the bed as he shook in his place.

"Y-your face, the l-look of - you should have -!"

Victor snapped his mouth shut at Yuuri's outburst, frowning for a moment before choosing to ignore him and get off the floor instead.

Nothing seemed to work out the way Victor wanted for it to, Yuuri reaching out a hand to help as he went to stand. 

Before Victor could even make up his mind on whether or not he wanted to be supported by the still manically laughing coach, he misplaced his footing and got his sock stuck on the corner of the carpet. He slipped, getting caught at his own feet as he tried to balance his momentum.

This time Yuuri was close enough to help, launching himself off the bed to take a hold of Victor's flailing arms and pulling him against his chest. He let his shorter build balance them out: "Got you!"

They stayed like that, Yuuri still laughing against Victor as he held him close, and Victor breathlessly attempting to hold back his own chuckles.

"You sure you didn't get hurt?" Yuuri asked after a while, finally back in control of his voice but not making a move to pull away. Victor nodded, then immediately after shook his head in utter disbelief. If not for the surprise, and the embarrassment that followed, he was fine.

Yuuri nodded as a silent reply of his own, relieved, before shuffling on his feet to move them back towards the bed. Victor followed, not trying to detach himself from Yuuri's arms.

 

* * *

 

They settled on the bed, Yuuri apologizing for laughing out loud enough to get tears in his eyes. Victor simply burrowed his face against Yuuri's shoulder, settling down as a pouting mess.

Some reassurance followed, Yuuri ensuring Victor that his enthusiasm was appreciated; only his accident prone ways a problem whenever they worked to get Yuuri a step closer to a heart attack. As long as nothing went wrong, they were fine.

"It's endearing", Yuuri said as he patted Victor's head. "All okay."

"Okay?" Victor crumpled, his voice barely audible from against the fabric of Yuuri's shirt. "Just okay?"

Yuuri laughed again, thanking whoever had made sure Victor hadn't gotten badly hurt in the fall. Once again, those were some of the headlines Yuuri would like for them to keep avoiding - there were enough to begin with.

Yuuri cradled Victor in his arms, thinking on his answer a little longer, and then leaned down to whisper:

"You are lovely. _Adorable_. Certainly more than okay."

Victor practically purred at his words, clinging on to Yuuri a little tighter as they both began to chuckle.

 

**Author's Note:**

> "Chasing after understanding", the main fic, is a role reversal going through an alternative season 1 of the show. It's relaxing to work on and I'm having a lot of fun with it to break the last of my writer's block, which also means there's a lot I had to cut out thanks to the story getting too long for what it is. So that's what you might find more of here soon: missing and extended scenes.


End file.
